Easy Entry Level Pasta With Spinach, Courgettes, Tomatoes & Pine Nuts | Jamie Oliver

In this guide, Jamie Oliver strips back the complexity of fresh pasta production to focus on pici—the ultimate entry-level, hand-rolled noodle from Tuscany. For professional kitchens, pici represents an incredibly cost-effective, low-equipment addition to the pasta section. Because it requires no pasta machine or rolling pin, this technique lowers the barrier to entry for junior kitchen staff while delivering a rustic, tactile product that patrons love.

The core technique relies on simple dough hydrationDough HydrationThe ratio of liquid to flour in a dough, expressed as a percentage. and hand-rolling. Chefs learn to portion the rested dough and roll it out with the palms of their hands on a clean work surface, creating thick, irregular, chewy strands. The natural variation in thickness is a selling point, providing a pleasant, toothsome texture that holds up exceptionally well to robust sauces.

Combining Fresh Greens and Acid

The accompanying sauce is a quick, vibrant assembly of spinach, courgettes, sweet tomatoes, and toasted pine nuts. Rather than a slow-braised ragù, this dish relies on fast pan work to retain the bright green colour of the courgettes and spinach, balanced by the acidity of bursting tomatoes.

To execute this efficiently during service, the courgettes are finely prepped to cook down rapidly, integrating with the spinach to cling to the rustic pici. The pine nuts are toasted separately to bring textural contrast and a rich, buttery finish. The starch from the pasta cooking water is key here; tossing the hand-rolled pici directly into the pan with a splash of this starchy water emulsifies the natural juices of the tomatoes and olive oil into a clean, light glazeGlazeA shiny coating applied to food to add flavour, colour, moisture or visual finish..

Operational Advantages for the Line

From a kitchen management perspective, pici is a dream for prep. The dough is forgiving, utilising basic pantry staples without the strict hydration limits required for machine-extruded or finely rolled laminates. It can be prepped ahead, dusted with semolina, and portioned into nests for rapid service. Because the noodles are thicker than spaghetti, they offer a wider margin of error during the boiling phase, keeping their bite even during busy service peaks. This approach proves that fresh pasta does not require expensive machinery to feel authentic and satisfying.